Life

Petri Sarho was born on May 17, 1949 in Ylä-Savo Vieremä. In 1969, after graduating from high school, Petri entered the Finnish Orthodox Seminary in Kuopio from which he graduated in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in theology. Petri continued his postgraduate education at the Leningrad Theological Academy in the Soviet Union, graduating in 1977.

In 1977, Petri entered New Valaam Monastery. There, he was tonsured a monk and given the name Panteleimon. Subsequently, he was ordained hierodeacon and then hieromonk. In 1979, Fr. Panteleimon was appointed Igumen, a position he held until 1997. In 1986, he was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite. During the period from 1986 to 1992, Archim. Panteleimon served on the Holy Synod of the Church of Finland.

On March 16, 1997, Archim. Panteleimon was consecrated Bishop of Joensuu, a vicar to the Diocese of Karelia, in Kuopio and became a regular member of the Holy Synod. For two months in late 2001 and early 2002, Bp. Panteleimon served as locum tenens of the Diocese of Helsinki, before he was elected metropolitan of the Diocese of Oulu in April 2002.